Gazidis: There Was Nobody To Replace Wenger With

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has finally admitted why Arsene Wenger was handed a new contract on the back of a hugely disappointing season. He could not find anyone better!

A statement that is even more mystifying considering that Barcelona found a manager Ernesto Valverde to replace Luis Enrique, why by the way is still available.

Wenger signed a new two-year deal last summer despite finishing outside the Premier League top four for the first time in that period.

A section of supporters made vocal protests that Wenger should leave, but Gazidis warned that simply hiring a new face would not solve all their problems.

Gazidis told Sky Sports: ‘We’re in a society now where we are encouraged to throw away the old and buy the new thing which will make you happy and solve your issues. For us we thought about the issue of who we wanted to take us forward.

‘When we thought about the key qualities, they were the experience, the gravitas for a club like this, a record of success in the game. Also we wanted someone who could represent our values as a club, what we stand for in the world of football and with our fans.

‘We wanted someone who would play attacking, attractive football, that is a core part of this football club, and finally someone who would give young players a chance. We see players like Hector Bellerin, Alex Iwobi coming through, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock have had a fantastic pre-season.

If you look across the world of football this is a plum position, people want to be manager of Arsenal. If you look across the world of football, you don’t find better candidates than Arsene Wenger. We kept coming back to Arsene.

‘It wasn’t a sentimental decision, it wasn’t based on 20 years of history with the club although there is tremendous loyalty which comes with that, but it wasn’t a decision made out of loyalty, but out of the qualities the club has and what we feel we need over the next two years to take this club forward.’